1. Field of Invention:
This invention relates to a slidable storage container for use in trade vans and the like. More particularly it is a storage container which encompasses most of the usable cargo space of a trade van, and is mounted on an extension track which permits the operator to fully extract the storage container through the open cargo doors of the van so that the storage container is accessible from all sides.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Numerous containers have been developed over the years for increasing the enclosed storage of a conventional pickup truck bed. Some of the devices that have been developed are disclosed in TEMP U.S. Pat. No. 2,784,027 dated Mar. 5, 1957 and KNAACK et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,731 dated Mar. 4, 1986. Both of these disclose drawer units for installation between the wheel wells of the bed of a pickup truck. Both drawers utilize what are commonly known as suspension racks to provide ease of pulling the drawer from its container.
WOOD U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,529 discloses a similar use of suspension racks for use with a sliding cabinet which is supported lengthwise along the side of the pickup truck bed above the wheel well. RAFI-ZADEH U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,364 discloses a similar device which incorporates additional features of a canopy covering the entire pickup truck bed. TUOHY, III U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,326 dated; June 11, 1985 and HAMILTON et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,992 dated Jan. 13, 1987 both disclose tool boxes suspended on sliding racks wherein the tool box can be positioned at the front of the pickup truck bed or slid to the rear for easier access. HAMILTON et al. discloses the further feature of a top closure for the tool box which can be utilized beneath a camper shell which has sloping sidewalls and limited headroom.
While all the above device disclose methods of improving closed storage for pickup trucks, none of them meet the enclosed storage requirements of certain trades and crafts wherein the tradesman is required to carry a large and varied inventory of parts, supplies and tools to remote job locations. Examples of these trades and crafts would include plumbers, electricians, telephone repairmen, furnace and air conditioning repairmen, appliance repairmen and the like.
All of these tradesmen are required to carry large inventories of parts, supplies and tools in order to function effectively.
The traditional solution in these trades is to utilize a trade van type of vehicle. These vans are usually built on chassis of similar size and load carrying capacity to those of conventional pickup trucks, however the entire body of the vehicle is enclosed. Cargo doors are traditionally provided at the rear and the right side of the vehicle for access to the cargo area. Cargo areas have limited headroom, which is generally insufficient for the tradesman to enter, except in a crouching or stooped position.
Makeshift shelves are usually installed by the tradesman along the sidewalls of the cargo area. Because of structural requirements of the vehicle there usually are integrated braces protruding from the sidewalls of the cargo area, which are often times curved or sloped. The result is that it is difficult to install sidewall shelving that embodies anything other than minimal storage space increases over what can be done by just stacking the inventory of parts and supplies on the floor. Additionally, because of the limited capacity of the sidewall storage, often times the floor of the cargo area, which has been reduced to nothing more than a narrow passageway between the shelves, is often littered with boxes of parts and supplies.
The suspension drawer as described above in TEMP and KNAACK et al. cannot be effectively used with a trade van since the already limited headroom of the cargo area of a trade van would be more severely restricted, making significant portions of the cargo area inaccessible to the tradesman. Additionally, these type of devices would be very difficult to install and would not withstand the heavy payload requirements required by these types of trades.
Likewise the containers and tool boxes described in the other above mentioned patents are not designed to significantly increase enclosed storage within a trade van, but instead are adapted to provide closed storage in an otherwise unprotected environment of an open pickup truck bed.
What is needed is a storage container which greatly enhances the ability to utilize the entire cargo volume area of a trade van and further, provide for easy accessability to that storage area.
Such a storage container should also be able to withstand heavy payloads, normally between 1,000 pounds to 2,000 pounds, since those types of payloads are routinely carried by trades people such as electricians, plumbers and the like.